Pages

The Kira Nichols Etsy Shop

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I made this ATC for (surprise!) the Craftster Ongoing ATC Swap! It's titled, "I want to go!" Yeah, if I got an invite to this cat party, I'd probably want to go. Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday!

Monday, August 30, 2010

I painted this little monster guy as a custom bookplate for a swap! Do you like him? I think eventually I might play with the colors a bit on photoshop for to make a print out sheet of multi-colored monsters. I have sooo much to learn on Photoshop, but luckily my tablet came with a disc of lessons. I need to get cracking on those...

Here's a Peanut update: He's doing really well, pretty much back to normal. One weird change though in his behavior: He hasn't squawked ONCE since he's come home, and I don't know why. He still chatters and talks and hoots, but no ear-piercing sun conure squawks. It's actually kind of nice. Sigh, I can't help but remember how lucky we are to have him home everytime I look at him. Happy Monday!!!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

I've been making inchies books like crazy! This one is actually 1.5'' x 15". I cut out a bunch of little watercolor squares this size with my cricut, then did the same thing to cut the bases out of cereal box. Keeps 'em nice and substantial!

This page is my favorite, even though the octopus only has 6 legs. Who's got room for 8 legs, really? I need to start experimenting with drawing other little animals... I tend to fall back on the tentacled creatures and birds!

And the book unassembled. I think the next one I make will bind at the tops, kind of like a calendar... Or I'll just make a mini-calendar! That would be fun. Happy Saturday!

(Oh, and a side note for the awesome folks who started doing the Swagbucks thing to get some free stuff: The best way to get the stuff you want is to redeem your points for amazon.com giftcards. You can save em up, then just order whatever from Amazon.com. It takes a little while to accrue points, but that's how I got my tablet. And thanks for signing up! You're gonna really like it! Oh and, I don't really usually like to link to stuff here, because I think you guys pretty much just want to see crafts, but I've really gotten a kick out of this Swagbucks site, so I wanted to share the free goodness :) So don't worry, I won't start... like... spamming you guys.)

Friday, August 27, 2010

I've been working on this beaded butterfly for a few days, and finally finished it! It's nice, I'm using up a ton of my bead soup, aka all the unsorted various beads left over from miscellaneous projects. Lots of sequins, too.

I'll probably eventually make it into an ornament for my crafty Christmas tree this year! It's going to be our first actual Christmas tree in several years. Hehe, can you tell I'm excited, planning this, what, 4 months in advance? :)

Well, I've got some swap items to work on, so everybody have a great night! And a good weekend!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Okay, so my Wacom Bamboo Tablet came in the mail on Friday, but that's the day that Peanut flew away, so you can understand, I did not have the energy to get excited about my new toy AT ALL that day. (Side note: I got it for FREEEEEE by saving up my swagbucks search engine points. You all aughta start doing it, it's totally cool, I love it, and I love free stuff) I just got around to installing it today, and hooo boy do I have a lot to learn. Anyway, well, it came with Photoshop Elements, and I tried to make an animated gif of this Sneaky Bunny pop-up ATC I made for the Craftster ATC Swap. Hopefully it works. If you can't see the bunny after a second or two, then it didn't work! Then back to the drawing board for me! (EDIT: It didn't work, so I replaced the pic with this new one! I'll figure it out eventually....)

So here's a non-animated picture in case it didn't work. The bunny is hiding in the plant pot :) Wish me luck learning the ins and outs of Photoshop and my new tablet! Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Hey everyone! Peanut is back home, safe and sound, and very, very happy! I am very very VERY happy, too! It's truly a miracle. Thanks again for all the kind comments and your prayers! So back to our regular scheduled non-dramatic posts. *Huge sigh of relief* I made this poly-clay octopus ornament for a personal swap. This is my first poly clay creation since probably middle school.

Definitely not my usual style, but that seems to be happening more and more often lately. Swapping certainly pushes my crafting limits, because I try to make stuff suited to the recipient's taste. So, this guy is painted pretty dark, with red crystal eyes. I like the way the spattered yellow and white ink turned out :)

Aaaand I'm pretty proud that I actually made this guy with 8 legs. I usually miss a leg or two... Anyhoo, happy (truly, very, absolutely) happy Wednesday!!!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Peanut flew out the door yesterday, looking for me as I started a load of laundry. He's gone, and I feel like a failure. He loved me so much, and I didn't keep him safe. I've never been so heartbroken or felt so empty in my life. Don't expect any crafting for a while, I feel like things will never be the same.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary! I painted the little robots on a card I made for Bobby, the love of my life!!!

I woke up super early and said to Bobby, asleep, "Happy anniversary, sweety." and he said, "I love you! Just think, four years ago, we were probably still asleep right now." Lol, I love that turd. Happy Wednesday!!!

Oh! And also! I've begun listing items in my new etsy shop! I'll slowly be working on getting it stocked, adding one or two items every day. You will also notice a mini-shop here on my blog in the sidebar! Pretty exciting! :)

Monday, August 16, 2010

I've been making teeny inchies books like crazy over the past few days! Been feeling ill and had a lot of pain this weekend, so it was nice to do an inchie or two, then go lay down, then repeat! I was also having a tough time photographing them, but today I cleared off my workspace and finally took some decent shots.

This little book is robot-themed! The backgrounds are made from the tiny little strips of watercolor background that were leftover after the cricut cut out all my bases. I knew I had to use that web of leftovers somehow!

I backed the inchies with bases cut out of cereal box. I love the weight of the cereal box cardboard... It makes my inchies substantial :)

This little robot playing a banjo is my husband's favorite... Could be mine, too. He's an Alabama Robot.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Ahhhh! I spent WAY too much time hunched over making these little inchies! I wanted to do some more in this pieced together style, and I thought what better theme than tiny little microcosmo-type things. I can't pick a favorite, but I think the most visually appealing one is the hummingbird.

The mouse took FOR-EV-ER. Those little limbs are soooo tiny, I had to use tweezers to place them, and don't even get me started on cutting them out. The end result is cute, though. At least I didn't spend all that time for it to turn out like crap, right? :) The mushrooms, much more simple :)

I wasn't so sure about the feather, but after looking at it for a little bit, I decided it reminds me of travel, and I like that. Doesn't the background look a little bit like Europe? And the fish, who can go wrong with tiny fish? :)

Still plenty of tiny watercolor scraps left! Happy Friday! Have a lovely weekend!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Yet another craftster ATC! I wish I had taken some in-progress shots, but yep! I made the pug from scratch! I gathered each wrinkle and bit by bit, hot gluing the canvas to a pug-skull shaped piece of cereal box. Then I tucked all the rest of the edges behind and secured it all with more hot glue. I used some watered down acrylic to add the darker areas by the ears and muzzle, then glued on ears, seed beads for the nose and eyes, the tongue.

I was pretty pleased with how he turned out. Not really my usual, but I thought the two tiny seed beads for the nose were pretty funny(You can click the pictures to see them up close) :)

I made some tiny inchie books today! They're for swaps, though, but you'll see them soon enough..... Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I know, I know, I'm a blog slacker! (Thanks for pointing that out, Sarah. ) I'll share with you this magical little gnome ATC I made for the Craftster ATC Swap. He's proud of the spoils of his little adventures... A feather!

The mushroom! I really like mushrooms, and they're so whimsical. I'm surprised I don't use a lot more of them in my artworks. Maybe I'll have to start.

He looks so satisfied, lol. The feather is a special one, probably because my bird RARELY drops this specific kind. I think he's only got 2 like this on his entire feathery body, so I get maybe 4 from his a year if I'm lucky enough to notice when they drop. My brother has a bird too, and he calls these the "knuckle feathers."

Okay, now I have to share with you something that brought me some crafty girlish glee! Only you guys can really appreciate this: Cutting out inchies from watercolor background on my Cricut! Isn't that just a thing of beauty? So easy! So perfect! I'm gearing up to make a few inchie books for swaps. :) Happy Tuesday, friends!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

I couldn't help myself... I just had to jump back into the Craftster Ongoing ATC Swap! It's been a while since I've made any, and I've missed it. So I made this one with an art print and inks and various papers :) It's called "Happy Owloween" for a fellow craftster's requested Halloween theme. I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Here's a simple embroidery I finished up last night. Hehe, I hope the tadpole is recognizable as a tadpole! Papa frog doesn't look too thrilled at babysitting, but at least he does it in style with that blue hat.

I thought a babysitting frog was an appropriate theme for my day yesterday! I had my epidural injection (where they squirt medicine directly into your spine to hopefully aid healing), and my best friend Sarah so kindly kept me at her house and watched me for the rest of the day to make sure I didn't lose function in my legs, lol. I haven't been babysat in a long time, but hey we had fun. I'm pretty sore today, but the surgeon said that was to be expected until sometime next week.

Hey, I wanted to take a second to thank everybody who has been leaving such kind and encouraging comments. I want you to know that they really really make me feel loved, and they never go unappreciated! I'm convinced that I have some of the sweetest readers on the planet. Happy Friday, friends! Have a lovely weekend!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

So I was in charge of the craft for the young women's activity this evening! They're supposed to be working on a personal progress goal that includes trying to do something nice or spiritual each day. I figured a sort of Kathryn Wheel-inspired calendar would be a good way for them to keep track of the kind things they do, and a fun little project. So, my new Cricut to the rescue!!!

I'm so psyched at how FAST I was able to cut out about 175 inchies with that machine. It occurred to me that I never need another punch again. :)

Here are some of the girls working. They did a pretty great job and hopefully had some fun! I was proud. Well, happy Wednesday, friends!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Okay, even with a pounding headache, I just HAD to play with my new Cricut tonight... I cut out some shapes and finished up this art journal page that I'd been working on the last few days. It's kind of for all of my pets. I still think about my Kitty bird often, and I still miss her a lot (My lovebird died in January, she was 10 years old). So I wrote on this page "You will always be loved, forever."

I kind of wish I had taken some in progress shots, because I did a lot of steps for this page. First, I whitewashed out the text on the pages with acrylic ink, then I doodled all the little leaves and flowers and swirls in the background. Watercolored the edges and some of the doodles, then added the other embellishments and writing.

This is a cut out picture of my sleepy dog, Tink. She's getting a little older, too! Eight years old soon, and she's the best dog ever.

Forever!!! Isn't it amazing how animals can fill a big part of your heart? :) Okay, I'll quit being sappy. I love people, too.

Whose Blog Are You Reading?

Hi! I'm Kira Nichols, a young craft artist native to the Pacific Northwest. I live in Alabama with my dear sweet husband. I'm a big fan of colors, cute, and kindness. Someday I'd like to publish a children's book and share my art with the world!

Contact

My Hard Work

Be respectful, be honest. Please don't use or download any of my pictures without asking first, or copy my designs for profit. Thank you!

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed

LinkWithin

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I RECEIVED ONE OR MORE OF THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES MENTIONED IN SOME OF MY POSTS FOR FREE IN THE HOPE THAT I WOULD MENTION IT ON MY BLOG. REGARDLESS, I ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS OR SERVICES I USE PERSONALLY AND BELIEVE MY READERS WILL ENJOY. I AM DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.”